


There was blood on your shirt

by Jaceisweird



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Cross-Posted on Wattpad, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, kinda angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 11:14:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18520336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaceisweird/pseuds/Jaceisweird
Summary: They had just finished performing at large venue. They were supposed to be at the hotel by now. But it seemed fate had other plans. why didn't they listen to the threats? Why didn't Roger duck when the shot was fired?based on a scene from the book The Gentleman's guide to vice and virtue by Mckenzie Lee.





	1. Metallic Ringing

Roger pov

I walked out into the bright lights of the camera flashes. It was blinding and I had to squint to even see. We had just played at a large venue in Manchester. It was smaller than our previous ones; a fact iI couldn't help but feel a small bit responsible for. After Brian and I came out and told the public that we were together, people didn't take kindly to it. 

Despite the mean and hateful comments from casual fans, some people who felt we betrayed them in some way sent us threats. Naturally I threw them out and didn't give them another thought. Brian...well he has been a bit on edge. Making sure I was close behind him and looking back at me every few moments. 

I thought he was just paranoid...I was so wrong.

The crowd was seemingly growing at some point somebody screamed. There was a man with a gun coming towards us. I didn't see it, my only focus was Brian rushing over to me. There was a first shot, I ducked. The bullet was not aiming at me, but Brian. It missed him. I rose back up, this time when the shot was fired it sounded awfully close. Brian's eyes widened. my thoughts were racing, had he been shot? 

A loud metallic ringing burst through my head, starting at my right ear. My knees buckled. I felt an arm catch me. My eyelids had become severely heavy. I felt myself being lowered onto the ground. There was a loud pain stretching the right side of my face. 

"What's happened?" Freddie asked as he approached.

I pressed the palm of my hand to the right side of my head, I felt a liquid, blood, "I've been shot,"

John scoffed, "You haven't been shot," I removed my hand, it was fully coated red, "Ok maybe you've been shot," The words wavered with worry as they left his mouth.

"Rog, love I need you to keep pressing your hand on the impact wound, ok," Brian asked

I tried to but my arms felt so heavy and I couldn't seem to move them up there. Brian, being the saint that he is, carried my hand up there for me. I think he said something but it sounded like his voice was coming from the bottom of a well. I turned and saw that there was blood on his shirt. Panic arouse inside me, "You're hurt," I mumbled 

He shook his head, "I'm fine,"

Oh so it was my blood. Even better, I tried to reply with a snarky comment but it came out as a pathetic whimper. The edges of my vision were slowly becoming clouded. my breaths were shaky and shallow. A harsh cold reality that there was a possibility that I could die suddenly became terrifying. On certain days when I had taken in as much bullshit as I could I would of gratified the notion that I was going to die. Right about now, all I wanted to do was live. I wanted to see the world more, preform, get married, have kids, and all that cheesy stuff. If I died now I would be leaving Brian, Freddie, Deaky, my mom, my sister, and all the Roger Taylor lovers out there. 

I was almost gone, I knew that. My eyes were sliding shut and I could faintly hear my fellow band members, my friends, my family calling my name to stay awake but it was so hard. It was over


	2. No sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What had happened? it seemed every word was spoken through a well

I woke to the sound of a heart monitor and talking of three individuals. These voices I knew too well to mistake them. I heard Freddie say that he and Deaky were going somewhere to give Brian some alone time with me. I waited till they had left to flutter my eyes open, I dramatized it just a little bit. He didn't notice, "Bri," I whined. He spun around in one quick movement. 

"Roger!" I was engulfed in a hug and my face was full of the older man's curls, "I forbid you from ever being shot ever again!"

I chuckled, "Is that even possible, I thought you being 'The smart one' you would care about logic,"

"The logic you made me use was that the threats couldn't possibly mean anything,"

"Well how was I supposed to know that I would be shot?"

"Well you were actually very nearly shot,"

"So I can't go around telling people I was shot?"

"No,"

"Well there goes my conversation starters for the next few years,"

"Roger this isn't funny,"

"Sure it is! After all I'm alive! So what, a little death never hurt anybody. And I wasn't shot. Just injured," I kept going on unable to keep my mouth shut. Of course I was turning this situation into a joke.

"I thought I had lost you! your heart almost stopped beating!" He was suddenly crying

"Sorry," I said softly

Brian regained composure, "Just never do that again," 

I recalled upon where the bullet had made impact. I trailed my hand up there, but Brian grabbed my hand, "You don't what to touch it," he said

I looked at him perplexed, "Why?"

"Well your ear is a bit..."

"A bit what,"

"Gone," he rushed the word out 

"My ear is gone?!" I exclaimed

Brian cringed, "The bullet had damaged it, the doctor took it clean off,"

"Great now I'm the only earless drummer,"

"I'm sure there's another one,"

My throat was dry, "Is there any water?"

Brian stood and walked to my right side where a small stand with five water bottles was hoisted above a sink. I saw Brian's lips move but I heard no words. I swiftly rose up, Brian faced me confusion plastered on his face. I raised my right hand to the side missing an ear and snapped. No sound. I snapped again louder, nothing. 

"Is...is it gone,"

It went without saying as I broke down in dry heaved sobbs. Who would want a drummer who was partially deaf? Brian held me as a cried into his shirt. I felt utterly useless. Why me? Why? Out of all the humans on the planet, that guy in the sky choose me to be 'very nearly shot' and lose half my hearing; my sobs slowly became slight screams as the reality of life crushed down on me.

What would Freddie and Deaky think? Would they even want me to stay in the band? Logically they wouldn't, but damn them, they would be way too nice to kick me out for something out of my control. I felt like an infant, I was curled up on Brian's lap as he just let me cry out everything, "Why am I even upset, I could of died," I finally managed to sputter out some words

"I'm glad you're not dead. And we'll get you through this, I promise,"

I tried to smile, "I love you Brian,"

He took my hand in his, "I love you too Roger,"


	3. This would be it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just an ending, it's super short.

It had almost been a year since I was 'Very Nearly Shot'. Turns out you can still start a conversation with that statement. Brian and I own a flat now, it's fairly big. When the news about my unfortunate hearing came out, sympathy spread like wildfire for a few weeks but then the press found other things to dwell on. Freddie and John did not kick me out of the band. I told them they could but the said they wouldn't dream of kicking me out. 

Turns out you can only hear in one ear and be able to play drums. Even though I could still hear I had to learn how to use the vibrations as indications with what to play. I had to wear this cotton like thing over my ear. It was a bit of a turn off for the ladies, but at the moment I am in a healthy and happy relationship. 

Sometimes I still get self conscious about the hearing and my ear. Some days I don't want to play. I just feel like a liability. You never need a back up bass player, or guitar player. You never see ads looking for backup guitars or bass. I have seen multiple ads for backup drummers. Brian will always try to reassure me; sometimes I forget that I can only hear in one ear. But then when someone tries to talk on my bad side and I can't hear them I remember. 

So, this would be it. This would be my life. There's no changing it, but I can still try to make the best of it.


End file.
